"What's up."
Gerald interrupted Ryan's deep thinking, his eyes were glued to the suitcase.
"I'm being paranoid," he said.
"Not a fan of voodoo?"
Ryan rolled his eyes, "If that's a real artifact from the cult it's probably full of dark... magic... garbage."
"Probably," Gerald said casually.
"This doesn't freak you out," Ryan said, "Not even at all."
"Sure it does, why do you think I'm hiding it."
Ryan sighed, his eyes still not looking away from the suitcase. He hadn't been able to shake this strange feeling since leaving the antique shop. The atmosphere was suddenly tense, and it felt like someone was watching them. Ryan could feel stranger's eyes burning into the back of his head.
"Something isn't right," Ryan moaned.
"You gave us the lead," Gerald retorted, "You were pumped about it."
"I was hoping it would further the case..."
"And it will," Gerald said reassuring, "With your lead, I can take this to the next step. I have a friend downtown, a professor, and she studies criminology but happens to have a specific interest in cults."
Ryan raised his eyebrows, "Really? Who?"
"Maren Smith. I've been keeping her in the loop but now I have something a little more concrete to show her."
"Nice..." Ryan said, still in thought, "I can't believe you had to pay that much for it."
"That little old lady knows how to market," Gerald shrugged, "Tina... Tina the mysterious shop owner who just happens to stumble upon artifacts when the cult is exposed."
"She said she always had them," Ryan interjected, "Though, that doesn't make her sound any less mysterious."
"No, no it doesn't," Gerald mumbled.
They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying their festive hot drinks while the snow continued to create thin layers atop their car. Ryan tried enjoying the warmth and sweetness of his beverage, but felt the urge to be alert. He looked out the window, and through the glass and green Starbucks logo, he spotted a car parked across the street, right by Tina's antique shop.
A pair of eyes were staring back at him.
"Huh..." Ryan scratched his chin.
"What is it?" Gerald asked.
"The shop boy..."
"Dylan? What about him?"
Ryan didn't break eye contact until Dylan finally turned the car on and drove away.
"... He's got a cool truck."
Gerald narrowed his eyes.
*****
Genessee was jolted awake with the need to cough violently. Oh man... She pushed herself off of the floor, not remembering how she got in this position. Her limbs felt cold, probably from sleeping on the floor, she thought. Wait...
She didn't recognize this place. A box shaped room with dark and grimy walls. Against the walls were several wheels attached to pipes that ran along the floor.
"Wha..." Genessee slapped her cheeks, this had to be a dream or something, but her surroundings didn't change. She was still here, and she wasn't alone. A blonde man was sprawled across some of the pipes. Genessee would've thought he was dead if not for his light snoring. He had a short beard and looked friendly enough, but she had no idea who he was or what they were doing here.
The surprises didn't stop there.
At the other end of the room was a large glass tank, and by the looks of things that's where most of the pipes were congregating. Genessee's heart felt like someone was grasping it tightly. Inside the tank was a girl with thick long brown hair, also very much unconscious. It didn't make much sense, but it also didn't take a genius to figure out what the set-up was built to do. The tank reminded Genessee of a magic show, where the assistant has to escape before drowning.
Oh boy...
A low groaning rumbled from under the floor. Genessee flinched. One of the wheels on the walls was leaking water and started to spray like a mist in her face. She blocked her face with her hands, and at that moment, the girl in the tank screamed.
The girl's scream was so powerful that even the glass couldn't muffle it out. Genessee watched as the now awoken girl pressed her hands desperately against the glass.
"Help! Get me out of here! The water!"
Sure enough, the glass tank she was trapped in was slowly filling with water.
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